Been studying the subject for years, took courses more than once but until now, never really had the ideal space, time and energy for what I wanted to do.
Located in Mid-Wales is a very remote part of the UK. Quite mild on the eastern side of the Cambrian Mountains. Not nearly as wet, it seems, as other parts of Wales (when the forecasters state rain for Wales, they rarely get it right for me!).
For the last 2 years (as long as I have lived in this house), there have been swarms in the garden and a hive in the house. The house hive died this year, but I am sure it will get occupied again (no sign of any damage).
So this year I set up swarm traps and build a hive and 3 nucs.
After a few tentative examinations, bees really started getting interested in all my traps on 20th July. On 22nd July a swarm arrived in the usual tree, then avoided my attempts to put them in a nuc; instead went into my hive! Result.
...............but the hive wasn't really ready. I hadn't looked in it since I built it.
It had a 14x12 brood box and 2 supers on top.
The top super had 7 14x12s with foundation hanging down through all the boxes and some super frames with foundation.
As I didnt want to disturb the new bees, so left them a week.
Result: (experienced keepers may want to guess before reading on)
ALL 14x12 frames had wax pulled out.
2 14x12 frames were FULL of nectar
2 14x12 full of eggs and some capped brood
3 14x12 also had very long comb underneath
While pulling longest comb out - it broke!
Supers ignored
Solution:
Cut comb off and put them into frames with laccy bands
put all 14x12 frames into 14x12 box and put super on top
put broken comb into feeder for them to clean out - it was nectar
And since then, they have grown from strength to strength.
Filled a super box which I fed back to them later (having taken one cut comb for trying later)
Mites - very few on testing. Tested every month and if anything, the mites seem to be loosing the battle. Plan to do some close up photography of the mites to see if the bees are biting their legs off.
Located in Mid-Wales is a very remote part of the UK. Quite mild on the eastern side of the Cambrian Mountains. Not nearly as wet, it seems, as other parts of Wales (when the forecasters state rain for Wales, they rarely get it right for me!).
For the last 2 years (as long as I have lived in this house), there have been swarms in the garden and a hive in the house. The house hive died this year, but I am sure it will get occupied again (no sign of any damage).
So this year I set up swarm traps and build a hive and 3 nucs.
After a few tentative examinations, bees really started getting interested in all my traps on 20th July. On 22nd July a swarm arrived in the usual tree, then avoided my attempts to put them in a nuc; instead went into my hive! Result.
...............but the hive wasn't really ready. I hadn't looked in it since I built it.
It had a 14x12 brood box and 2 supers on top.
The top super had 7 14x12s with foundation hanging down through all the boxes and some super frames with foundation.
As I didnt want to disturb the new bees, so left them a week.
Result: (experienced keepers may want to guess before reading on)
ALL 14x12 frames had wax pulled out.
2 14x12 frames were FULL of nectar
2 14x12 full of eggs and some capped brood
3 14x12 also had very long comb underneath
While pulling longest comb out - it broke!
Supers ignored
Solution:
Cut comb off and put them into frames with laccy bands
put all 14x12 frames into 14x12 box and put super on top
put broken comb into feeder for them to clean out - it was nectar
And since then, they have grown from strength to strength.
Filled a super box which I fed back to them later (having taken one cut comb for trying later)
Mites - very few on testing. Tested every month and if anything, the mites seem to be loosing the battle. Plan to do some close up photography of the mites to see if the bees are biting their legs off.
